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These disorders affect both Adults and Children
What Is ADD ADHD?
Myth: ADD is a simple problem of being hyperactive or not listening when someone is talking to you.
Fact: ADD is a complex disorder that involves impairments in focus, organization, motivation, emotional modulation, memory, and other functions of the brain's management system.
Fact: Untreated or inadequately treated ADD syndrome often severely impairs learning, family life, education, work life, social interactions, and driving safety. Most of those with ADD who receive adequate treatment, however, function quite well.
~ Thomas E. Brown, Ph.D. Director, Yale University Clinic for Attention and Related Disorders, from Attention Deficit Disorder, 2002
ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a diagnostic label that we give to children and adults who have significant problems in four main areas of their lives: Inattention, Impulsivity, Hyperactivity, and Boredom. ADD or ADHD is a neurologically based disorder, not the result of "bad parenting" or obnoxious, willful defiance on the part of the child (although a diagnosis of ADHD does not rule out that there is either bad parenting or defiant behaviors by the child taking place in the home).
ADHD of one kind or another affect about 5% of the children in the United States, and about 3% of all adults in the USA.
About 35% of all children referred to mental health clinics are referred for ADHD. It is one of the most prevalent of all childhood psychiatric disorders. As we mentioned, it affects about 5% of children, about 3% of adults. You may see published estimates stating that ADHD may effect as many as 10% to 25% of children in America, but these numbers are not really supported by research data, and are probably inflated. The 5% number is a solid number supported by research. Even at 5% each classroom in America will have one or two (2) ADHD kids in the class. So it is a very real, and very significant problem across America.
Debra Bryan, MS, LPC, NBCCH
Director
Certified as a HUBZone, woman, American Indian, service-connected disabled veteran, owned small business.
Counseling for Attention Deficit Disorder - ADD ADHD
We are big believers that you should not just be giving an attention deficit person medication without therapy. There are a lot of good, long-term studies that show that medication by itself in the long run is not much better than no treatment at all (Satterfield, et.al.). Medication for Attention Deficit Disorder - ADD ADHD is far more effective when it is combined with counseling.
Family therapy is helpful.
The family needs to adjust to the ADD child/adult, and know how to adjust to him. Family members need to know what to expect from the Attention Deficit Disorder - ADD ADHD person, and everyone needs to be filled in on what is going on as well. In fact, often the focus of family therapy ought to be the non-ADD ADHD members.
Many children and adults have poor social skills in the areas of making friends, getting along with others, knowing how to act in different situations, how to use self-control, coping and how to follow rules.
Attention Deficit Disorder is an impulse-control disorder, or dis-inhibition disorder, and ADHD people need to be taught how to control themselves, how to decrease their impulsivity, how to solve problems, and how to stop and think before they act. They need to be taught skills to help them be more successful.
We startseveral classes per year which have a good record of significant improvement as reported by parents, spouses, teachers and bosses.
Parent training classes are great.
Most classes focus on getting kids with Attention Deficit Disorder - ADD ADHD - to be more compliant. A good parent training class will give parents the skills needed to teach their Attention Deficit Disorder - ADD ADHD kids to be successful at being obedient.
What about individual counseling or therapy for Attention Deficit Disorder?
Individual therapy using cognitive-behavioral approaches can be very helpful in the treatment of Attention Deficit Disorder - ADD ADHD. Stop and think therapy, teaching the ADD person how to solve problems, and teaching him how to decrease his impulsivity is great. Teaching the Attention Deficit Disorder - ADD ADHD person how to monitor his own behaviors is important as well.
